Every time an election is held, candidates and voters and pundits seek change and, depending on the outcome, often promise it.

Sometimes change even happens.

In the wake of Tuesday's election in Delaware County, however, some real change could come. It might be in ways that aren't highly visible at first, but could have real impact.

First, a word about turnout.

Tuesday's 47 percent voter turnout was far higher than in the two most recent mid-term elections. Turnout was 27 percent in 2014 and 36 percent in 2010.

Tuesday's turnout actually came close to the 51 percent turnout in the November 2016 presidential election and the 51 percent from the November 2012 election.

There was speculation even before polls closed on Tuesday that Democratic insiders were bracing themselves for disappointment – which came a few hours later with losses for party favorites like Sheriff Ray Dudley and Clerk Mike King.

The theory was that while there was an unusually high level of interest in this year’s races in some portions of Delaware County, it was “just another election” in neighborhoods known as Democratic strongholds.

A completely unscientific review of turnout percentages from about a dozen Delaware County precincts appears to support that theory.

In six traditionally Democratic precincts – four of them making up much of the Whitely and Industry neighborhoods, and two others on the south side –turnout didn’t reach the county percentage of 47.28.

In fact, in three of those Democratic-leaning precincts, less than a third of those registered participated in Tuesday’s election.

W/R then looked at turnout in five predominately Republican precincts, all in the Yorktown area.

Participation by registered voters in those neighborhoods ranged from 46.85 percent – just below the county average – to 63.76.

In four of those five Yorktown precincts, turnout exceeded 54 percent.

There's no reason to think we'll see the kind of turnout reached Tuesday in upcoming elections, since any number of reasons peculiar to this year might have helped drive that turnout.

But it's possible local officials will cite the turnout and long lines to vote early in establishing vote centers of some kind. In the weeks leading up until Tuesday, early voting happened only in the election office in the Delaware County Building, where people were waiting an hour to vote early some days.

Vote centers have been discussed, at least informally, for years, but Democrats and Republicans couldn't agree on how to implement them. How many locations would be established? How long would they operate before the election? Maybe we'll see a move toward vote centers finally.

And the reason that might be possible, of course, is the balance of power on the county election board will change on Jan. 1. Mike King, the county clerk, was defeated by Rick Spangler. The clerk makes up the pivotal third vote on the election board, and King has voted along with his fellow Democrat, not surprisingly.

The change in the makeup of the board will also mean that some election complaints will be heard differently. This year, the board heard but ultimately dismissed a complaint about how Democratic Party chairman Allie Craycraft handled campaign materials in the election office.

One thing that seems more assured after Tuesday's election: Delaware County's new jail will be built in the former ASONS/Wilson Middle School.

The commissioners, not the sheriff, have final say in where and how a new jail will be built and these commissioners, especially King and Henry, favor the ASONS building.

Sheriff Ray Dudley, like other Democrats, favored a jail plan that centered on a shell building in the Industria Centre industrial park. The Democrats were against moving courts-related offices out of downtown as well.

Tony Skinner, the Republican who defeated Dudley on Tuesday, won't have any more of a vote than Dudley. But without a sheriff to tout it, Democrats will have to continue their jail plan criticism from other quarters.

Predictions scorecard

Last week, the authors of this column predicted the outcome of 16 races on Tuesday's ballot.